Bear Seeking Bride: Tyler: (BBW Mail Order Bride Paranormal Shape Shifter Romance) (Bear Canyon Brides Book 2) Read online

  Bear Seeking Bride: Tyler

  (Bear Canyon Brides, Book 2)

  Ruby Shae

  Bear Seeking Bride: Tyler

  (Bear Canyon Brides, Book 2)

  Copyright 2015 by Ruby Shae

  All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work, in whole or in part, in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means now known or hereafter invented, is forbidden without the written permission of the author.

  The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement (including infringement without monetary gain) is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $ 250,000.

  Please purchase only authorized electronic editions and do not participate in, or encourage, the electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  About This Book

  Bear shifter Tyler Mallory might be the youngest brother, but he has always been the peacekeeper. His people skills make him the obvious choice as the voice of Mallory Building, but the trips into the city leave him agitated, frustrated and lonely.

  Dawn Wagner is happy for her best friend and her new husband, but with another dating disaster behind her, she knows she has to accept the truth. She’s short, extra curvy, single and unappealing to men. She’ll never find someone to love every inch of her.

  Fed up with the over-confident, plastic, money grubbing women who throw themselves at him, Tyler is determined to follow his brother’s example and place an ad for a mail order bride. When his new sister suggests he meet her friend first, one look and he knows his search is over. Dawn agrees to meet Tyler, but when her worst fears come true, she knows her chance at happiness is lost forever. Tyler, however, has another plan for his beautiful soon-to-be bride.

  Bear Seeking Bride: Tyler

  (Bear Canyon Brides, Book 2)

  By Ruby Shae

  Chapter One

  Dawn Wagner studied her reflection in the mirror and tried to see herself as others did. Not her friends or family, but strangers. What trait deemed her ugly by their standards? What provoked the nasty, rude comments suggesting she could scare children without a mask? What about her screamed horror monster instead of beautiful woman?

  Tears filled her eyes, but she rapidly blinked them away. She didn’t see it. Whatever they saw, it disappeared when she looked in the mirror. She knew she wasn’t beautiful by society’s definition, but she’d always thought herself pretty. Now she wasn’t so sure.

  She leaned in closer and scrutinized her face. Creamy white, nearly flawless skin reflected back at her. Her light blue eyes moved to her hair, and though she hated most beauty rituals, every blond strand looked in place thanks to her friend, Sabrina.

  A stylist, her best friend had cut her locks in a shoulder length, layered cut that parted on the side. Long, layered bangs fell across her forehead and blended into the rest of her hair. The cute, wash-and-go style easily transitioned between work and play in mere minutes.

  She backed away from the mirror and frowned. It had to be her size. At five foot, six inches tall, she was shorter than both of her best friends, and rounder than most women. Her reflection outlined her ample chest and rounded ass, but her curves didn’t stop there. Every body part had a little extra cushion, and though she ate sensibly and forced herself to walk daily, she’d given up being normal a long time ago.

  After years of fad diets with little results, she opted for healthy eating, exercise and acceptance. At twenty-nine years old, she saw no reason to live out the rest of her life feeling bad about herself, but the world seemed to have other ideas.

  Acceptance was difficult when society equated being fat to being a monster.

  A twinge of jealousy flared when she thought about her friend Sabrina. Recently married, she’d been brave enough to answer an ad for a mail order bride, and he turned out to be a wonderful man.

  Dawn met Travis when he and Sabrina came to empty out her friend’s apartment after the wedding. He was handsome, strong, and friendly, and his love for her curvy friend couldn’t be feigned. It was as if they’d been made for each other, and the fact that he was a bear shifter only increased his appeal.

  Dawn and her friends didn’t know much about shifters, but she’d like to know a few more if they were anything like Travis. His intensity was charming.

  You’ll never find a man like that.

  She shook her head to escape the truth, but it didn’t work.

  Sabrina was brave, adventurous, and confident. She had no reason to distrust men, and she easily adapted to her surroundings. When she’d announced her intention to answer Travis’ ad, she hadn’t been asking for approval or opinions, she’d simply been sharing her plans. She believed in herself, and her decisions.

  Dawn was none of those things. Her job as a web-designer allowed her to work from home, but it also gave her the ability to hide. When she did go out, she was shy, self-conscious and often times awkward.

  For some people, working from home made it easy to leave the house looking less than glamorous, but she always made sure she dressed appropriate and fashionable. As much as she loved her favorite yoga pants and stained, pink t-shirt, she didn’t expose the world to her work attire.

  When it came to her job, she was skilled, talented and business savvy, but her personal life was a disaster where men were concerned. Her desire to be in a relationship, combined with her ability to pick up any looser within a fifty mile radius left her vulnerable and unskilled when it came to dating. Her instincts couldn’t be trusted when it came to men.

  Being alone isn’t so bad…

  She repeated the phrase over and over, but she couldn’t make herself believe it. She knew she didn’t need a man to live a successful life, but she wanted one. She had a great job, great friends and she liked herself, so she didn’t mind being alone, but she wanted more.

  She wanted a husband and a family.

  A strong husband who didn’t mind her curves, or one who desired them, would be ideal. They would live in a yellow house with a white picket fence, and raise two-point-five children in a loving and caring home. Her size wouldn’t matter, and every day he’d tell her how beautiful she was.

  It will never happen.

  The tears welled up again, and this time one escaped and rolled down her cheek. She brushed it away with the back of her hand, and smiled when the doorbell rang.

  Only one person would be visiting so late on Saturday night. Caroline usually showed up with ice cream and an arsenal of insults if a date ended earlier than expected.

  “Oh honey,” Caroline said when she opened the door. “What happened?”

  Dawn shrugged and let the tears fall.

  When she arrived home earlier, she’d texted Caroline before changing out of her clothes. It was one of the things they did to let the others know they were safe. With Sabrina nearly eight hours away, she only had Caroline left. When her friend found Mr. Right, she’d be completely alone. The thought caused more tears to fall and Caroline closed the door and hugged her.

  “It happened again,” Dawn admitted.

  She hadn’t wanted to tell anyone, but
she knew Caroline would drag the truth out of her before the morning light, and she saw no reason to prolong the issue.

  “You’re kidding me?” Caroline screeched, and stepped back to study her face.

  “Nope. I’m the winner once again, or loser, depending on how you want to look at it.”

  “What an asshole,” Caroline said, hugging her again. When she let go, she stomped into the kitchen, yelling over her shoulder. “Fuck them all, that’s what I say. Get in here, I brought ice cream.”

  Dawn laughed, shook her head, and followed her friend. Caroline was bold, loud, confident and curvy. Her problem wasn’t finding a man, her problem was keeping one. Most men ran whenever she opened her mouth.

  When she arrived in the kitchen, Caroline had already scooped the ice cream into two bowls.

  “Not all men are assholes,” Caroline reminded her, “but god, it sure feels that way right now, doesn’t it? It seems like Sabrina got the last good one.”

  “Please don’t tell her,” Dawn begged.

  “What? Why not?”

  “It’s just that…,” Dawn searched for the right words. “I don’t want to hamper her newfound happiness.”

  “She hasn’t deserted us,” Caroline said. “She’ll want to know what’s going on in your life.”

  “Not this,” Dawn pleaded. “I don’t want her to feel guilty for being happy. She doesn’t need to know about this,” she said.

  “Okay, I won’t tell her unless it becomes absolutely necessary,” Caroline agreed.

  “Thank you,” Dawn said. She didn’t quibble over the words. She knew it would never be necessary to share her humiliation with her other friend; Caroline would keep her mouth shut.

  They spent the evening eating ice cream, laughing and mouthing the words to their favorite action movie. Her ego might never recover her unfortunate date, but by the end of the evening, she no longer wanted to hide and wallow in self-pity.

  Being single isn’t so bad…

  By the end of the night, it was easier to pretend she believed it.

  ***

  Tyler Mallory cursed as he drove the long stretch of highway back to Bear Canyon. The thirty minute drive from the city did nothing to ease his frustration, or lighten his mood.

  He’d been stuck in the city building office for most of the day, and when he’d finally received approval for their latest project, he’d left tired, hungry and wary. The receptionist had voiced his name loudly while waving goodbye, and suddenly three women joined him on the elevator.

  The first slipped her business card into the pocket of his blazer, the second grabbed his hand in a mock introduction and left her card behind, and the third quietly followed him to the parking garage and then propositioned him.

  He didn’t blame the receptionist. He and his brothers had worked hard and deserved respect, but the mere mention of their name always garnered unwanted female attention. The groupies, as he called them, didn’t care about anything but landing a Mallory brother.

  As much as he wanted to find a mate, he never went out with any of the women. Anyone who approached him because of his name was a gold-digging, high-maintenance, silicone replica of a child’s fashion doll with a closet of designer labels to match.

  It wasn’t the labels that bothered him though, he owned a few designer pieces himself, it was the blatant, over-confident, over-glamorized, over-sexed, vie for his money. He and his brothers had worked hard for all they had, and when he gave his money away it would be to his mate, not some morally absent beauty queen.

  He smiled for the first time since he left the office when he thought about what kind of woman he’d like to find. She’d be beautiful, of course, but he had a feeling he’d have to tell her daily for her to believe it. She’d be friendly, kind and would love him for his person, not his possessions. Or his money.

  She’d also have curves that went on for miles, breasts that overflowed in his hands, and a big, round ass he could spank just for fun. His cock started to harden, and he shook his head and focused on the women who’d pissed him off instead. He definitely didn’t want someone without extra curves and padding. He was a big man and he wanted a big woman who could take a pounding and beg for more.

  Unfortunately, he never met women like that that.

  He maneuvered the truck down the exit that would take him to Bear Canyon and sighed when he began the decent down into the tiny town. Bear Canyon was home to nearly five thousand grizzly bears, mostly male, and it would always feel like home.

  Five years ago, the government deemed several areas of land shifter towns, and Bear Canyon had been one of them. Many human shifter advocates had been against the towns, citing segregation and intolerance, but most shifters welcomed the changes.

  Shifters liked to be around their kind and they relished in the freedom to be themselves. They liked peace, and had long desired to walk the streets in their animal forms without fear or prejudice. Parents had dreamed of raising cubs in a stress-free environment tolerant of uncontrollable shifts, and the shifter towns provided that security.

  Creating towns specifically for shifters had been a boon for the government officials that had set the original plans in motion.

  The only drawback for an unmated bear, was the shortage of women. Female shifters were rare, and the men in town outnumbered the women three to one. The few humans in town were mated to other shifters, and the only possibilities to meet women seemed to be in the city.

  He growled when he thought about the three women from earlier.

  The lack of women, or opportunities to meet the type of woman he wanted, was what had led his brother to place an ad for a mail order bride. His brother had hit the jackpot with Sabrina, although he’d wish for someone with a few more curves, and he wondered if he should place an ad for himself.

  Could the Mallory brothers be lucky in love with a second ad? Or would he end up the fool Trent had been sure Travis would be.

  His other brother, Trent, had been against the ad from the beginning. He’d been sure the woman would make a fool out of Travis and steal all of his money. In the end, he’d grown fond of their new sister and they’d become good friends.

  Maybe an ad is the answer.

  He parked across the street from their current job-site, stomped into the trailer they used for the office, and sat down at his desk while releasing a long sigh.

  “We didn’t get it?” Travis asked.

  The large trailer held three metal desks with chairs, a small table and chairs for dining, a closet, a bookcase and a short file cabinet. They kept a limited amount of files and books on-site, and stored the rest in a small office space they owned in the center of town. The building usually stayed empty, and locked, but it served as a permanent address and storefront for their business.

  “No, we did,” Tyler said, opening his briefcase. He took out the forms and placed them on Travis’ desk.

  “That’s great news. Why are you looking so…I don’t know, defeated,” Travis asked.

  “I don’t know,” he sighed, and slouched down in his chair so his head rested on the back. “Some woman followed me to the parking lot this time.”

  “You’re kidding?”

  “I wish. When she finally opened her mouth to say something, I told her I was married,” he said and spun his chair in a circle, staring at the ceiling. “I’m hoping she’ll spread the word.”

  “I can go next time if you want, or we can have Trent go,” Travis offered.

  “Oh please, we’ll go broke if we let him do it. Besides, I don’t mind the work, its just—”

  “Hey, how’d it go,” Trent asked, letting the door slam behind him.

  “Great,” Tyler said, deadpan.

  “We got it,” Travis said, “but Tyler got followed again.”

  “That’s because you’re so handsome, sweetheart,” Trent said, mussing his hair.

  The older man hobbled, cane assisted, to his desk and Tyler felt a pang of sadness. Trent was only thirty-four, two y
ears older than him, yet he seemed much older. He couldn’t ask his brother to go into the city. Not because he couldn’t do the job, he still did a lot of work on their buildings, but because it would cause his brother more pain. The man hated the city, and most women, but that wasn’t the issue. The long drive, combined with the long walks from the parking garages to the buildings, would be hard on Trent. He could never put his brother in that situation.

  “How would you feel about—”

  “My placing an ad for a mail order bride?” Tyler interrupted. He shook his head at Travis, indicating he didn’t want to place the burden of going to the city on Trent, and luckily his brother got the message. Things would stay the same for now, and only Travis would be his backup.

  “Oh, you’ve got to be kidding?” Trent admonished.

  “No, I’m really thinking about it. Look how well it worked for Travis.”

  “Travis got lucky,” Trent said. “The possibility of that happening again is slim to none.”

  “Are you serious?” Travis asked.

  “Yes, why?”

  “Well, Sabrina has been dying to introduce you to her friend, Dawn. I met her when we packed up Bree’s apartment and she’s a nice girl, kind of shy, but really sweet. You might like her.”

  “Really? Why didn’t you say something sooner?”

  “Bree really wanted to be the one to ask you, she’s just been waiting for the right moment,” he said.

  “The right moment?” Trent asked. “What the hell does that mean?”

  “How should I know?” Travis laughed. “I mostly just go along with what she says. Now that I’ve spilled the beans, why don’t you come over tonight for dinner and let her tell you. You’re invited too, Trent.”

  “She’s not going to try and set me up with anyone, is she?” Trent asked.

  “No, not that I know of.”

  “Great, I’ll be there. In fact, I wouldn’t miss it for the world,” Trent laughed.